Metz (/ˈmɛts/ METS, French: [mɛs] ⓘ, Latin: Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then Mettis) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.

[4][5] Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany and Luxembourg,[6] the city forms a central place of the European Greater Region and the SaarLorLux euroregion.

[7] Metz has a rich 3,000-year history,[8] having variously been a Celtic oppidum, an important Gallo-Roman city,[9] the Merovingian capital of Austrasia,[10] the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty,[11] a cradle of the Gregorian chant,[12] and one of the oldest republics in Europe.

A basin of urban ecology,[23][24] Metz gained its nickname of The Green City (French: La Ville Verte),[25] as it has extensive open grounds and public gardens.

[8] Integrated into the Roman Empire, Metz became quickly one of the principal towns of Gaul with a population of 40,000,[9] until the barbarian depredations and its transfer to the Franks about the end of the 5th century.

[42] Metz is located on the banks of the Moselle and the Seille rivers, 43 km (27 mi) from the Schengen tripoint where the borders of France, Germany and Luxembourg meet.

[44] Metz and its surrounding countryside are included in the forest and crop Lorraine Regional Natural Park, covering a total area of 205,000 ha (506,566 acres).

[47] Metz with its magnificent open countries, prolific undulating rivers, wooded hillsides, vineyards of fire; cathedral all in volute, where the wind sings as a flute, and responding to it via the Mutte: this big voice of the good Lord!

Renowned Messins include poet Paul Verlaine,[56] composer Ambroise Thomas and mathematician Jean-Victor Poncelet; numerous well-known German figures were also born in Metz notably during the annexation periods.

Moreover, the city has been the residence of people such as writer François Rabelais, Cardinal Mazarin, political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville, artist and the inventor of the motion picture camera Louis Le Prince, French patriot and American Revolutionary War hero Marquis Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, and Luxembourg-born German-French statesman Robert Schuman.

Alsace-Lorraine is still governed by a pre-1905 law established by the Concordat of 1801, which provides for the public subsidy of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Calvinist churches and the Jewish religion.

[68] Because of its historical and cultural background, Metz is designated as French Town of Art and History, and has been submitted on to France's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

[20] Saint Louis' square with its vaulted arcades and a Knights Templar chapel remains a major symbol of the city's High Medieval heritage.

[66] The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and the buildings surrounding the town square are by French architect Jacques-François Blondel, who was awarded the task of redesigning and modernizing the centre of Metz by the Royal Academy of Architecture in 1755 the context of the Enlightenment.

[81] The district features noteworthy buildings including the rail station and the Central Post Office by German architect Jürgen Kröger.

[21] Modern architecture can also be seen in the town with works of French architects Roger-Henri Expert (Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus church, 1934), Georges-Henri Pingusson (Fire Station, 1960) and Jean Dubuisson (subdivisions, 1960s).

[84] Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the building is remarkable for the complex, innovative carpentry of its roof,[85][86] and integrates concepts of sustainable architecture.

The Amphitheatre District is also conceived by French architects Nicolas Michelin, Jean-Paul Viguier and Jean-Michel Wilmotte, and designer Philippe Starck.

[24] Based initially on the ideas of the Chicago School, Pelt's theories pleaded for better integration of humans into their environment and developed a concept centered on the relationship between "stone and water".

[98] Additionally, the city has developed its own combined heat and power station, using waste wood biomass from the surrounding forests as a renewable energy source.

Defensive walls from classical antiquity to the 20th century are still visible today, incorporated into the design of public gardens along the Moselle and Seille rivers.

[102] A medieval bridge castle from the 13th century, named Germans' Gate (French: Porte des Allemands), today converted into a convention and exhibition centre, has become one of the landmarks of the city.

[103][104] Important barracks, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, are spread around the city: some, which are of architectural interest, have been converted to civilian use, such as the Arsenal Concert Hall by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill.

], Metz municipality have promoted an ambitious policy of tourism development, including urban revitalization and refurbishment of buildings and public squares.

[132][133] The Trinitarians Club is a multimedia arts complex housed in the vaulted cellar and chapel of an ancient convent, the city's prime venue for jazz music.

Since 2014, the former bus garage has been converted to accommodate over thirty artists in residence, in a space where they can create and rehearse artworks and even build set decorations.

[145] The adjacent Chamber's Square (French: Place de la Chambre) is surrounded by numerous restaurants serving local food.

Since 2003, Metz has been home to the Moselle Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament played on indoor hard courts, which usually takes place in September.

[164] Mettis vehicles are high-capacity hybrid bi-articulated buses built by Van Hool,[165] and stop at designated elevated tubes, complete with disability access.

Metz Railway Station is connected to the French high speed train (TGV) network, which provides a direct rail service to Paris and Luxembourg.